About the Australian Animal Cancer Foundation

The Australian Animal Cancer Foundation supports scientific research into cancer in companion animals such as dogs and cats. It funds equipment and expertise to treat animals with pre-existing cancer, simultaneously documenting valuable clinical information to help uncover the mysteries of cancer in both animals and humans. The Foundation also collaborates with government and private institutions and seeks funding from competitive grants for clinical trials, equipment and personnel. The Foundation supports the Australian Comparative Oncology Consortium, a group of Australasian veterinary oncology specialists who collaborate to perform national clinical trials using the spontaneous animal tumour model.

Animal Cancer Care established in November 1997 by Dr Rod Straw offered the first veterinary oncology specialist service in Australia. The company provided a referral veterinary oncology service and operated from the School of Veterinary Science at the University of Queensland in Brisbane.

Cancer in companion animals
The prevalence of cancer in companion animals is increasing. This is in part due to animals living longer as a result of better nutrition, vaccinations, better preventative and therapeutic medical interventions, registration, and leash laws. This increasing prevalence means that veterinarians will be called upon more frequently to diagnose and manage companion animals with cancer.